* AuthorExistenceFailure: Lead actor Dermot Morgan's death was not the reason for the show ending, but the popular conception that it was the cause is a difficult one to refute. [[TooSoon It did have an effect]] on the final episode "Going to America", in which the original ending had [[spoiler:[[DrivenToSuicide Father Ted committing suicide]]]], which was then instead changed to a [[ReallyDeadMontage montage of clips from all the previous episodes as a farewell to the fans]]. Had Dermot not died there probably would have been [[ExecutiveMeddling a lot of pressure]] to continue. * CreatorBacklash: Despite being two of the more popular episodes among fans, Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews admit in the series scriptbook to not being entirely happy with how "New Jack City" and "Night of the Nearly Dead" turned out; the former because they felt far too much of the episode was taken up with Father Stack just being a jerk, and the latter because they were running out of ideas and had to resort to several comedic devices they wouldn't normally use.* DawsonCasting:** Inverted with Pauline [=McLynn=], who was 33 when the show started. She almost didn't get the part, because she was [[http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Money/Pix/pictures/2009/7/10/1247223849596/Writer-and-former-Father--001.jpg too pretty]] for [[HollywoodHomely Mrs. Doyle]].** Also inverted with Frank Kelly, who was 58 when the show started; Father Jack is supposed to be fifteen to twenty years older.* HeyItsThatGuy: Practically every major figure in Irish comedy appears somewhere.** Graham Norton had a recurring role before he got his own talk show.** The Christmas special briefly featured Kevin [=McKidd=], the actor from ''Literature/{{Trainspotting}}'' and ''Series/{{Rome}}''. (Although he's actually Scottish.)** Irish comedian Ed Byrne plays one of the teenagers who call Priest Chatback, and Tommy Tiernan is a suicidal priest.** [[Series/RedDwarf Kristine Kochanski]][[note]]that's the pre-series 7 Kochanski[[/note]] also pops up as a pro-feminist singer in one episode. (Although she's also actually Scottish.)** Pat Mustard is [[Film/TheSnapper George Burgess]].** Father BrianEno, anybody?* IAmNotSpock: Severely affects the entire cast. If you were an extra in this show that's all you're ever going to be. Graham Norton averts it by simply carrying his persona to the talk-show circuit. Some of the cast who are in stand-up avert it (such as Ed Byrne), although Ardal O'Hanlon may not be so lucky. (That said, there are far worse shows to be forever tied to.)** This got so bad that Pauline [=McLynn=] (Mrs Doyle) refused to appear in the documentary about the show.** Father BrianEno got away with it.** In an In-Universe example, Richard Wilson plays himself in one episode, and is driven into a rage by Ted saying [[OneFootInTheGrave 'I don't believe it!']] to him.* {{RealLife/Mean Character Nice Actor}}: Father Jack, as loud and as obnoxious as he is, is played by Frank Kelly... who couldn't be any different from the character he plays. Kelly joined {{Series/Emmerdale}} but left after five months, because he missed being with his wife and children in Ireland too much to stay. He's also donated money to various drama projects which are struggling, and asks for nothing back in return. * NonSingingVoice: PlayedForLaughs in "A Song for Europe"; Ted's singing is done by Neil Hannon of Music/TheDivineComedy (who wrote most of the music for the series), and is so completely different to Ted's voice it merely adds to the ridiculousness of the song.* ThrowItIn:** When describing the Beast of Craggy Island, one of Dougal's lines was meant to reveal that "instead of a mouth, it's got two faces." Ardal O'Hanlon didn't think this was funny, and when filming was taking place, decided to change the line to "instead of a mouth, it's got four arses," getting an uproarious reaction from the audience which immediately convinced the producers that the altered line should be left in.** "'Ride me sideways' was another one!" was an AdLib by Pauline [=McLynn=] -- you can see Dermot Morgan trying not to laugh.* TooSoon: The original script for the final episode, "Going to America", ended with Father Ted contemplating suicide. However, when Dermot Morgan died the day after filming was completed, that ending was quickly replaced with a montage of scenes from previous episodes.----* In a more personal version of TooSoon, actor Jim Norton, who played Bishop Brennan, revealed in the documentary ''Small, Far Away: The World of Father Ted'' that, as much fun as he had filming it, he has never watched "Kicking Bishop Brennan Up the Arse" from start to finish, as it was the only Bishop Brennan episode to premiere after Dermot Morgan's death, and he believes watching it would bring back too many bittersweet memories.----